Exercise and game apparatus.



T. DALY.

EXERCISE AND GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1917.

Patented; Jan. 8, 1918;

TINTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

TIMOTHY DALY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. 't

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY DALY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, county of Bronx, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exercise and Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to an apparatus adapted to .be built in more or less permanent form comprising an inclosure of lattice, the inclosure being provided with a smooth floor and ceiling. The inclosure is preferably of oval shape and of sufli cient size for two or more persons to stand in the inclosure and exercise with a ball which may be punched and knocked about in the inclosure rebounding from the floor, ceiling, or lattice wall of the inclosure wherever it happens to strike. At each end of the inclosure, preferably near the ceiling, openings are provided large enough for the passage of a ball therethrough. The ball used may be of any preferred size, so long 1 as its diameter is greater than the spaces between the lattice work of the inclosure. The openings at the ends of the inclosure are preferably made adjustable in size to conform to the size of the ball being used. Network baskets are preferably attached to the lattice wall of the inclosure outside and over the openings at each end to catch the ball and prevent it from falling to the ground outside of the inclosure.

The object of the game is to enable persons to obtain vigorous exercise by punching and knocking the ball about, the exercise being thus obtained in a congenial manner be cause of the game which may be played within the inclosure, thus making the exercise much more attractive than a punching bag or any exercise of that character.

A shower bath is preferably installed in a room adjoining the exercise inclosure for the convenience of those playing the game and taking the vigorous exercise required.

One form of my improved apparatus is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view with the ceiling and top of the apparatus removed; Fig.

2 is a vertical central section transversely of the inclosure; Fig. 3 is a detail of the openings at the ends of the inclosure through which the ball is adapted to be thrown and Fig. 4: is a cross-section of the rings shown Specification of Letters Patent.

EXERCISE AND GAME APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed July 28, 1917. Serial No. 183,231.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the floor and 2 the ceiling of the apparatus, the floor and ceiling being in parallel relation and spaced apart 7 or 8 feet or considerably more than the height of the average man. Between the floor and ceiling, uprights 3 of wood or iron are placed which are adapted to act as a support for the ceiling and to the inside of which a plurality of horizontally running lattice slats 4: are attached. The lattice slats 4 may be of any suitable or preferred material and spaced apart a greater or less distance as may be required or desired according to the size of the ball intended to be used in the inclosure. It is desirable that the inner wall formed by the lattice slats 4 should be as nearly smooth as possible and of uniform and continuous construction. The inclosure is preferably oval in horizontal crosssection substantially as illustrated in'Fig. 1 of the drawings, so that there are no corners in the inclosing wall. A rail or strip 5 extends around the inclosure outside of the lower ends of the uprights 3 to hold the latter in proper relation to the floor. A similar bar or strip 6 preferably runs around the ceiling outside of the uprights 3 to maintain the proper relations between the parts and add to the solidity of the structure. The horizontal lattice slats 4 at one side of the inclosure are preferably severed at 7 and 8 to form a door-way for entrance into the inclosure. The severed portions 9 of the slats are secured together by uprights 10 and 11 to form the door. The ends of the slats 4 at each side of the doorway are attached to uprights l2 and 13 forming door casings. The door by means of the strip 11 is preferably secured by hinges to the door-casing 13 and a knob or latch 14 is provided for securing the door when closed.

At each end of the oval inclosure, I preferably cut away the slats near the ceiling and insert a board or other suitable device 15 provided with an opening preferably circular through which the ball may be thrown in playing the game. The ball is represented at 16 and may be of any convenient size and is preferably resilient and light weight, something like the ordinary spherical foot ball. In order that balls of different sizes may be employed, I preferably form the openings in the plate 15 by means of a plurality of concentric rings 17," as illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the rings being preferably overlapping and interlocking in any suitable manner as illustrated. in the cross-section in Fig. 4-. By this arrange ment of the openings, it will be seen that when a large ball is to be used, all or most of therings 17 can be removed from the opening, so as to leave the latter large enough to receive the ball and permit its passa e theretlnough.

To prevent the ball from falling to the g ound after it has been thrown through one of the openings at either end of the inclosure, 1 preferably attach to the outside of the lattice wall a net-like basket secured over the board 15 containing the rings 17 which determine the size of the opening. This basket is represented at 18 and is adapted to catch the ball and prevent it from falling to the ground" after it has been thrown or passed through an opening in ring 17. The apparatus is preferably adapted to be used by two or more persons, opponents in the game being required to stay on opposite sides of a line (A) drawn on the floor midway between the ends of the inclosure.

For the convenience of users of the apparatus, I prefe 'ably attach thereto a small room 19 inclosed by a wall 20 to form a bath room. This room preferably forms an entry way to the apparatus and is provided with a door 21 forentrance into the bath room section, the door 9 through the lattice wall being adapted to open into the bath room section so that the parties enter the lattice inclosure from the bath room compartment. The bath room compartment may be provided with a suitable seat 22 and windows 23 mounted in any suitable or preferred manner. A shower bath bowl or platform is represented at 24 and the water pipe 25 is represented as being provided with ashower head 26 in the usual manner.

The apparatus may be mounted in the open on a suitable foundation and covered by a roof 27 in the usual or any preferred manner. A cement floor and steel or iron framing can be used if found desirable. The object of the lattice work wall is to give the players or those taking the exercise substantially all the advantages of exercising in the open, while providing means for confining their activities to the limited space of the inclosure whereby they are enabled paratus. For this reason, the form of the game and the rules thereof as well as the size of the ball used should be selected with the object in view of giving the user the greatest amount of exercise. If desired, two or more balls may be used in' which case more activity on the part of the players will be required and hence more exercise.

lVhile I have shown but one form of my improved apparatus, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific form of construction of the apparatus as shown, for obviously, various modifications may be made in the detailsand adaptation of the apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim 1. An exercise and game apparatus comprising floor and ceiling members, a uni form, continuous lattice wall inclosure therefor extending from the floor to the ceiling and a ball adapted to be punched and thrown about within said inclosure.

2. An exercise and game apparatus comprising floor and ceiling members, a uni form, cont1nuous lattlce wall inclosure therefor extendingfrom the floor to the cell ng and ball adapted to be punched and.

thrown about within said inclosure, said inclosure being provided with suitablerecep tacles for catching and holding the ball.

3. An exercise and game apparatuscomprising floor and ceiling members, a uni,-

form, continuous lattice wall inclosure there.

for extending from the floor to the ceiling and a ball adapted to be punched and thrown about within said inclosure, said lattice wall being provided with openings of a size to permit the passage of the ball therethrough.

4:. An exercise and game. apparatus comprising, floor and ceiling members in parallelrelation, an oval lattice wall inclosure therefor, the inside slats of the lattice being uniformly spaced and adapted to form a continuous wall without'vertical corners and a balladapted, to be punched andthrown about within said inclosure, saidlattice wall being. provided with openings for the pase sage of the ball therethrough from the inside. to the outside of said inclosure.

5. An exercise and game apparatus comprising floor and ceiling members in parallel relation, an oval lattice wall inclosure'therefor, the inside slats of the lattice beingv uniformly spaced and adaptedto form a continuous wall without vertiealcorners and a ball adapted to be punched and thrown about within said inclosure, said lattice wall being provided with openings at prearranged intervals for the passage of the ball therethrough and means for. varying the. size, of said openings to conform tothe size of the ball placed in the apparatus. I

6. An exercise and game apparatus comprising floor and ceiling members in parallel relation, an oval lattice Wall inclosure therefor the inside slats of the lattice being uniforinly spaced and adapted to form a con tinuous Wall Without vertical corners, a resilient ball adapted to be punched and thrown about Within said inclosure, the diameter of the ball being greater than the spaces between said inside slats, said inclosure being provided With openings near the ceiling to permit the passage of the ball therethrough, means for Varying the size of said openings and net Work baskets secured to the outside of said lattice Wall over said openings to catch and retain said ball.

7. An exercise and game apparatus com prising oval floor and ceiling members in parallel relation, spaced vertical bars between the floor and ceiling at the periphery thereof, horizontally disposed slats spaced apart from the floor to the ceiling and extending in curved lines inside of said bars and secured thereto thereby forming a continuous oval lattice Wall inclosure, the slats on one side being severed to form a door, a resilient ball adapted to be punched and thrown about Within said inclosure, the diameter of the ball being greater than the spaces between said slats, said inclosure being provided at each end With openings for the passage of the ball therethrough, means for varying the size of said openings, and baskets secured to the lattice Wall over said openings outside of said inclosure for catching and retaining the ball When passed through the respective openings.

TIMOTHY DALY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

